Turkey lifts veil on unemployment data, revealing bigger army of jobless A new, broader set of labor statistics has exposed a big gap between Turkey’s official unemployment rate and the actual joblessness in the crisis-hit country. Turkey
Rights group criticizes Jordan over debt imprisonment Human Rights Watch has highlighted the plight of poor Jordanians imprisoned for failing to pay back loans taken out to meet basic needs. Jordan
COVID accelerates evolution of Gulf economies The economic policy response to COVID-19 is an acceleration of specific trends already underway across the Gulf Cooperation Council members, variously affecting tax policy, labor market regulation and immigration policy. Saudi Arabia
Iran receives COVID-19 vaccine from Cuba Iran enjoys warm relations with the Latin American state and the two countries are also developing a coronavirus vaccine together. Iran
Israel violates terms of Gaza cease-fire Israel is still not abiding by the terms of the cease-fire deal that ended the Gaza war in August, and still harasses and fires at Palestinian farmers and fishermen. Palestine
Lebanese officials file lawsuit against the state Six Lebanese nationals, including former and current deputies, filed a lawsuit against the state, accusing successive governments of illegally collecting and spending funds in the absence of a clear, lawful budget. Lebanon
Egypt debates health care reform New legislation has been proposed to revamp Egypt’s outdated and ill-functioning health insurance system and cover all Egyptians under one universal insurance umbrella. Egypt
Iran's private sector eager for nuclear deal Iran's private sector has high hopes for a comprehensive nuclear deal, as it predicts economic growth and stability as the outcome. Iran
Lebanon looks to reform business practices Lebanon was once a hub for business in the Middle East, but in recent years it has struggled to regain its former glory. Lebanon
Tehran's missing $14 billion Iranian investigation of the gold trade with Turkey, and Tehran’s pursuit of its missing $14 billion, are likely to strain bilateral ties. Turkey
Contaminated water delays Sinai canal Despite demands to accelerate development and land reclamation projects in the Sinai Peninsula, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi postpones plans for a crucial canal due to health concerns. Egypt
New Turkish law deals blow to unions Turkey's unionized workforce has dropped from 57.5% to 9.6% over the past decade, with Ankara offering weak solutions to the problem, including a hotline where workers can report their bosses. Turkey
Turkey's Kurdish client state Turkey has tremendous financial and security influence over the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, exposing Erbil to economic and political vulnerabilities. Iraq
Egypt farmers call for aid, threaten strike Egyptian farmers are threatening to halt cultivation of certain crops to call attention to the need for state action to support and protect the industry. Egypt
Budget failure creates more economic woes for Iraq Iraq failed to agree on a budget for 2014 and seems set to fail on agreeing to a 2015 budget; economists warned that this would only add to the nation's financial problems. Iraq
Outsized ambitions leave Turkey with hefty bill Turkey is isolated not just by its neighbors but also by nations further afield. Turkey
